SHILLONG, Aug 27: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has softened its stand on uranium mining in the State. Notwithstanding its stringent ideology as reflected in its election manifesto, KHNAM president and Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh told this correspondent over phone from New Delhi today that he could not shove his opinion into somebody’s throat. Lyngdoh was part of the Cabinet meeting that decided to lease out 422 square hectares of land in Mawthabah–Nongbah Jynrin area to Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) for pre-mining developmental activities.
Asked on the Cabinet decision, Lyngdoh said, “Democracy essentially means the choice of the majority, and I cannot shove my opinion down anyone’s throat. While Cabinet decisions reflect everyone’s opinion, yet at the end it is the will of the majority that prevails.”
Maintaining that his contention found no takers in the 12-member Cabinet meeting on Monday, the KHNAM leader alluded to the electorates for the party’s failure to provide a vociferous opposition to the proposed uranium mining in the State. Lyngdoh said that his party KHNAM had a joint election manifesto with HSPDP wherein their stand on uranium mining was clear. However, the fact that out of 60 seats, both the parties won only three seats, that clearly indicates that the people have unanimously rejected their stand. “It’s parties like the Congress, NCP and UDP that maintain a stoic silence over the issue that collectively bagged 51 seats, and this shows that they clearly have the majority say on the matter,” stated Lyngdoh.
The HSPDP and the KHNAM have been against uranium mining, but they continue to cling to the government that ignores all their ideologies.
While the pro-uranium mining lobby jubilates with the government’s decision to allow the pre-mining developmental activities, the anti-uranium lobby has prepared themselves to oppose it at all cost. The Langrin Youth Welfare Association (LYWA) will meet tomorrow and the KSU will meet on Monday to decide their future course of action. Both the bodies have categorically stated that the Government was using developmental activities to facilitate UCIL’s proposed uranium mining. THE SENTINEL
Asked on the Cabinet decision, Lyngdoh said, “Democracy essentially means the choice of the majority, and I cannot shove my opinion down anyone’s throat. While Cabinet decisions reflect everyone’s opinion, yet at the end it is the will of the majority that prevails.”
Maintaining that his contention found no takers in the 12-member Cabinet meeting on Monday, the KHNAM leader alluded to the electorates for the party’s failure to provide a vociferous opposition to the proposed uranium mining in the State. Lyngdoh said that his party KHNAM had a joint election manifesto with HSPDP wherein their stand on uranium mining was clear. However, the fact that out of 60 seats, both the parties won only three seats, that clearly indicates that the people have unanimously rejected their stand. “It’s parties like the Congress, NCP and UDP that maintain a stoic silence over the issue that collectively bagged 51 seats, and this shows that they clearly have the majority say on the matter,” stated Lyngdoh.
The HSPDP and the KHNAM have been against uranium mining, but they continue to cling to the government that ignores all their ideologies.
While the pro-uranium mining lobby jubilates with the government’s decision to allow the pre-mining developmental activities, the anti-uranium lobby has prepared themselves to oppose it at all cost. The Langrin Youth Welfare Association (LYWA) will meet tomorrow and the KSU will meet on Monday to decide their future course of action. Both the bodies have categorically stated that the Government was using developmental activities to facilitate UCIL’s proposed uranium mining. THE SENTINEL
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